What Had Happened Was...
A lightning fast weekly recap so you don't feel like an idiot on Monday (July 8th-14th, 2019)
Here’s a catch-up of the major and interesting events of the week of July 8th, 2019. You can check in with a minimal time commitment, read about the big stuff and stay in the know before we’re on to the next. This week we had arrests, resignations, alt-right social media at the White House, another Pence fail and a blackout. Let’s get started.
Epstein Arrest
Hot off the heels of the Fourth of July weekend, we had a pretty substantial break in the ongoing pursuit of billionaire sexual predator, Jeffrey Epstein. Epstein was arrested last Saturday afternoon in New Jersey, taken into custody and remains in jail. He was charged by the Southern District of New York (SDNY) with sex trafficking of minors and conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of minors. The indictment was unsealed on Monday and alleged that, between 2002 through 2005, Epstein sexually exploited and abused dozens of underage girls by enticing them to engage in sex acts with him in exchange for money. Epstein allegedly worked with several employees and other victims to ensure that he had a steady supply of minor victims to abuse and often trafficked the victims between New York City and Palm Beach, Florida. The FBI asked that anyone with knowledge of Epstein’s crimes report them and more victims came forward all week. The bail hearing is set for Monday, July 15, 2019.
If you want more detail about this, read “Jeffrey Epstein Arrested by FBI and Charged in SDNY.”
Alex Acosta Takes Major Heat, Then Resigns
The Epstein arrest triggered a resurgence of public anger toward Trump’s Secretary of Labor, Alexander Acosta. Acosta was a federal prosecutor in Florida a decade ago and was involved in helping Epstein avoid a hefty sentence by brokering a sweetheart deal with Epstein’s then attorney, Alan Dershowitz. Despite drafting a 53-page indictment and statements from of dozens of victims, Acosta agreed to allow Epstein to register as a sex offender, spend just 13 months in the Palm Beach County jail and be picked up by a car for 12 hours of daily work release from the prison, six days a week. A Florida judge ruled earlier this year that the non-prosecution agreement created by Acosta’s office had violated the Crime Victims’ Rights Act because the witnesses were never consulted or informed that it had ever happened. Dershowitz has also been remarkably quiet all week.
If you want more detail about this, read “Alex Acosta Needs to Resign Over Mishandling of Epstein Case.”
In order to combat major pressure from the public calling on Acosta to resign that started early in the week and never eased up, he held a press conference that went south very quickly. Acosta tried to downplay the strength of his case against Epstein in 2008, saying that many of the victims had recanted or were unwilling to testify and labeled moving forward with a trial as a “roll of the dice.” He also tried to claim the media was recreating the record and that the many challenges he faced justified his actions, even though the press was using facts based on emails from his office and victims. When he had a chance to admit mistake in his failure to properly notify victims, Acosta admitted he would change nothing and blamed it office on office policy.
Needless to say, his excuses were not terribly effective and he resigned on Friday, July 12, 2019. (Click the link below to play the video.)
If you want more detail about this, read “Acosta Tries to Defend Himself by Blaming the Victims.”
Trump Social Media Summit was Really Alt-Right Fest
On Thursday, Trump held an event at the White House that purported to involve all of Social Media, but it was really just a reward for far-right conspiracy theorists and hoaxers. It also gave Trump more opportunity to keep talking about his perceived suppressed follower count on Twitter and to talk about his favorite subject: how great he is.
The whole thing appeared as sad as an overdone birthday party for a two year old and the event turned into a complete circus when Trump took to the Rose Garden to say he’d abandoned his quest to place a question about citizenship on the 2020 census and had issued an Executive Order instructing the federal government to compile citizenship data from existing federal records with no restrictions. In reality, the order basically reiterates plans the Commerce Department announced last year, so it ended up looking like an excuse to retreat and bolster the roll-out of more Ice raids.
There was also substantial tension between the press and Trump’s alt-right crew and this culminated into a fitting performance by Sebastian Gorka, who went after the White House Press Corps. (Click the link below to play the video.)
Pence Fails Miserably at a Border Camp Photo Op
On Saturday morning, Vice President Mike Pence and a team went to the border to review the detention centers. Based on the differing reports from mainstream media and Pence’s own social media accounts, it became very clear that the whole farce was intended as a photo op to bolster the Trump Administration’s position that the people in the centers were being treated humanely. Pence’s team even made a point to photograph boxes of supplies, including one that had “toothpaste” scrawled across it in marker.
The photos that were intended to make the Trump Administration look compassionate just came off as over-privileged and Pence and his team all looked out of place and over dressed.
Pence’s social media accounts left out the images of the men, who were clearly overcrowded and in cages and video and pictures started to surface showing the truth about the conditions. (Click link to watch video below.)
The nail in the public perception coffin was most decidedly the image of the Pence team, including Senator Lindsey Graham, looking out of place, inappropriately dressed and bored. Pence tried to defend himself by blaming the media for portraying it incorrectly, calling it a “manufactured crisis,” and CNN “dishonest.” Nevertheless, it was impossible to take his sentiments that “[Customs and Border Patrol] is providing humane and compassionate care” after seeing all of the photos.
Blackout in Manhattan
Saturday evening saw a sudden and shocking blackout after a power failure caused most of the West Side of Manhattan to go dark. People were stuck in elevators, trains and subways and drivers had to navigate intersections with no traffic signals. Times Square and Rockefeller Center were even affected.
Most theaters canceled their performances and some casts even went outside to conduct impromptu performances in the streets. Everyone seemed to keep moving and smartphones became flashlights.
The Millennial Choir and Orchestra were scheduled to play at Carnegie Hall, but considering the blackout, they decided to continue their show outside for everyone and captured an audience outside of the theater.
The cast of “Waitress: A New Musical” also went outside and sang to an audience on the street.
But this moment captured on video below really reflects how great the city and people of New York are as the lights came back on and everyone in the streets cheered louder than a sporting event. Nothing shows you how much people can come together as much as seeing the reaction when it is all over.
This was my quick recap of all the biggest events of the week so that you can start this next one with gusto. Have a great week, everyone!
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Amee Vanderpool writes the “Shero” Newsletter and is an attorney, contributor to Playboy Magazine, analyst for BBC radio and Director of The Inanna Project. She can be reached at avanderpool@gmail.com or follow her on Twitter @girlsreallyrule.